2,138 Tutorials

More Desktop PCs How-To

  • 18 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to tame a jumpy cursor

    Following bootup or waking the PC from standby, my cursor always highlights the top-left icon onscreen. For example, if I'm in Outlook Express, the cursor will always go to the top of the list.

  • 14 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to unzip files without IE interfering

    When I click on a zip file to uncompress it, Internet Explorer launches multiple copies of itself. I have to switch off the PC using the power button to continue.

  • How-Tos: How to get the most out of Windows Services

    While optimising my PC I came across some fascinating bits of software called services. Can I safely disable any that don't sound useful to me, such as Routing and Remote Access?

  • 12 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to create space on a full hard disk

    I reorganised some files on my Vista Home Basic PC and am now receiving a full-disk warning. The drive has two 67GB partitions. I moved 40GB of files to D, leaving 31GB on C. I unsuccessfully attempted to delete the Winsxs file, which hogs 12GB. I’ve also removed 3GB of programs. But every time I reboot, the capacity used on C is still 31GB.

  • How-Tos: How to use Windows' boot.ini file

    I upgraded my PC with a new CPU and hard drive, copying across the contents of the old drive with the help of a disk-copying utility. When I boot up I now see a screen asking which operating system (OS) I’d like to use, but I have only one installed.

  • 01 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix everything: the ultimate guide to fixing technology

    PCs, printers, smartphones, cameras, networks - your stuff will inevitably stop working. Here's how to troubleshoot and fix your most common tech issues.

  • 19 April 2010

  • How-Tos: How to upgrade a laptop's processor

    I'd like to upgrade my HP laptop's 2.1GHz Intel T8100 dual-core processor so I can use it for games such as Grand Theft Auto IV. Is this feasible, and what are the possible pitfalls?

  • 16 April 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a corrupt user profile in Windows Vista

    QUESTION I'm unable to access the main user account on my Windows Vista Home Basic PC. Windows displays the message ‘Cannot load profile'.

  • How-Tos: How to switch user accounts in Windows XP SP3

    QUESTION After installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 on my PC, I'm unable to switch between user accounts without restarting the machine. The login window appears, but there's no text cursor with which to enter the password.

  • 13 April 2010

  • How-Tos: How to make Windows 7 boot up and shut down faster

    QUESTION I installed Windows 7 just eight weeks ago, but I'm already frustrated with its 50-second bootup and 82-second shutdown times. How can I improve these speeds? My two hard drives have a combined capacity of 1.5 terabytes (TB).

  • 29 March 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a faulty RAM upgrade

    QUESTION I bought two matching RAM modules for my father's Dell Dimension 4600 PC after checking they were the correct type and size. But after installing them in the 'Dimm 1' and 'Dimm 2' slots, the computer displays the dreaded blue screen of death. When I reinstall the old RAM, all is well again. What have I done wrong?

  • 27 March 2010

  • How-Tos: How to optimise your graphics card for gaming

    Tweaking the settings on your graphics card can do a lot to improve play during gaming. We've put together some guidelines for obtaining good image quality, as well as for finding the right blend of quality and performance, when tweaking the settings.

  • 26 March 2010

  • How-Tos: How to: Improve your posture & work environment

    Working at a PC for hours isn’t much fun. But it can also be physically painful; aches and pains may be your body’s way of telling you that you have a poor posture. If you don’t do something about it, these aches and pains could lead to more severe problems.

  • 24 March 2010

  • How-Tos: How to delete Registry data infections

    QUESTION I installed the free version of Malwarebytes Antimalware on my brand-new Vista PC. Every time I perform a quick scan it reports two Registry data infections. Super Antispyware Free, meanwhile, tells me the computer is infection-free. The files in question are ‘Hkey.Classes_Root\scrfile\shell\open\command\(default) (Broken.OpenCommand)' and ‘Hkey.Classes_Root\regfile\shell\open\command\(default) (Broken.OpenCommand)'. I've tried removing the files using Malwarebytes and rebooting the PC, but they quickly reappear.

  • How-Tos: How to delete temporary and unused files from your PC

    My Windows XP Home PC is running very slowly, even though I've doubled the RAM allocation to 2GB. All Microsoft updates and service packs are installed and I use Norton 360 to keep the computer clear of nasties. I've also tried defragging the hard drive, which the analysis tool said was 22 percent fragmented. After running the defrag tool built into Windows and Norton 360's Disk Optimiser, the hard drive is still 22 percent fragmented. Chkdsk doesn't shed any light on the matter. Can you help?

  • 23 March 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a laptop screen that won't stay on

    The screen on my Toshiba 1800 laptop keeps turning itself off. The only way to get it to come back on is by pushing the small button that tells the laptop when the lid is closed. This can happen 10 times in half an hour. The repair shop wants £70 to fix it - is it worth it?

  • How-Tos: How to install Apple iTunes on Windows 7

    My three-month-old Acer Z5610 all-in-one PC runs Windows 7. I recently tried to install iTunes, but AppleMobileDevice refuses to play ball. Acer blames Apple; Apple blames Acer. With my brand-new PC unable to run such a common application, I'm seriously considering returning it under the Sale of Goods Act.

  • How-Tos: How to recover files from deleted user accounts

    A little while ago I deleted my PC user account and created a new one. I wrongly assumed that I'd still be able to access the files on the deleted account. Are they lost forever?

  • 22 March 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a PC power problem

    I recently moved my five-year-old HP PC into a different room, during which time the power was off for two hours. The machine now refuses to boot up. The only sign of life is a flashing power LED on the case. How can I fix this?

  • 06 February 2010

  • How-Tos: How to get great technical support

    No one likes talking to tech support. Use our tips to help get your problem fixed - and maybe receive a little something extra, as well.

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